Community Forums

38RAMBLER · 04-23-2014, 07:49 PM

I am getting ready to replace my coach batteries and the starting batteries.
Do you have any suggestions. I do very little dry camping. Presently I have four 6 volt batteries for the coach and two 12 volt batteries for the starting system. My present batteries are the original Interstate brand units. Have lasted for ten years. Appreciate suggestions on brand and source to purchase at a good price. Thanks.

2 Stroker · 04-23-2014, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38RAMBLER

I am getting ready to replace my coach batteries and the starting batteries.
Do you have any suggestions. I do very little dry camping. Presently I have four 6 volt batteries for the coach and two 12 volt batteries for the starting system. My present batteries are the original Interstate brand units. Have lasted for ten years. Appreciate suggestions on brand and source to purchase at a good price. Thanks.

Dang, 10 years on Interstate sound good to me.
or Costco-Sam Club
lifeline Batteries, you will need a bank loan to get them but they are good

Lifeline Batteries - Marine & RV Deep Cycle Batteries
2 stroker

njs42 · 04-23-2014, 09:02 PM

You sound as though you care for your batteries very well so your choice is fairly simple. Made simpler still by how you use your MH. A well treated battery will last a long time. Interstates are good and they got you this far so why not? Otherwise save a little coin and get the golf batteries from Sams Club or Costco, they are made by Johnson Control and well treated they will give you years of service.

Basically you have the battle won by the way you maintain your batteries. You can split the hair on types of batteries all night long but care and maintenance is the key to a long life.

**CountryFit** · 04-23-2014, 10:37 PM

generally costco's is good enough. but depends on where you are... if you can get t-105 at $85/pc i would go with trojan. last time i checked my local golf cart supplies they were willing to sell me at that price.

vsheetz · 04-24-2014, 01:13 AM

I have had multiple sets of Trojans, with excellent service from them. For chassis batteries I like the Everstart from Walmart. They are well priced, good quality, and warranted anywhere you are.

Triker56 · 04-24-2014, 06:27 AM

Quote:

I do very little dry camping.

Then 2 house batteries are all you need.
Save the $$$

Quote:

if you can get t-105 at $85/pc i would go with trojan. last time i checked my local golf cart supplies they were willing to sell me at that price.

I couldn't find t-105's at that price 8 years ago.
Today's prices are near $130 at most locations.

scenic route · 04-24-2014, 03:49 PM

Our 4 house batts are 10 years old as well. A couple weeks ago, I priced some Duracell 6 volt golf carts at Sam's Club...less than $90 ea. and were rated at 106 Ah. With no more dry camping that you do, I think the wet cell 6Vs are the best bang for the buck and you'll have that deep cycle power if/when you need it.

Imurphy907 · 04-25-2014, 01:40 PM

That 106 rating is at 75Amps. the 20Amp rating is 215. I just had an 8d STB so I am replacing it with the same samsclub CG2's for more capacity in the same space as the 8D.

GaryKD · 04-25-2014, 01:50 PM

Hi 38RAMBLER,
If it works don't fix it. Stick with the Brand(s) you have in the coach now. They have served you well. There is no reason to change. If you want to cross battery maintenance off your list of things to do, AGM technology LifeLine batteries are the way to go. 2 chassis and 2 coach batteries should be okay for you. Eliminating 2 of the coach batteries means less (a lot less) weight for you to carry down the road.

wa8yxm · 04-25-2014, 07:06 PM

Chassis batteries. Stick with what has been working, You can change brands if you like.. I just switched to DEKA (Made in the USA they are). but since it works, Stick with it.

On the house.. IF you have a big inverter.. Same advice.. If you do not and as you said you do little if any boondocking, You may drop to a single pair if you like.

I run over 500 amp hours (C/20 method) of house battery here. But I have a 2KW inverter too.

gemini5362 · 04-25-2014, 07:51 PM

I have the sams club 6 volt batteries and they work fine for me for the coach. I have bought sams club batteries in the past for the chassis and they work great.

Beowulf2 · 05-18-2015, 08:10 AM

ONE VOTE FOR TROJAN BATTERIES BASED ON THEIR BROWN CASE.
In Jan had body repair work done on the unit. The body shop did not plug the shore power and left interior lights on. As a result the four coach batteries froze and broke big time. The body shop said that they would cover 50% cost of new batteries of my choice. I decided to purchase four Trojan batteries which have brown cases. To my surprise the batteries are a lot easier to check the water levels because of the contrasting brown case color and the black water in the battery. They also have a very definable water level indicator.
The old Black cased batteries there was not contrasting color between the case and black water level which made them very hard to service.